What are Russian women REALLY like?

[Gator]

If you are referring to Ade, he has spent far more than one week in Russia, probably more than you have, TBH.
 

It did not take long for an Ade fan to appear.  Boethius, you are missing the point.  Two points to be precise.
 
1.  I was contrasting Ade with mendeleyev, not with me.  This is not about me, thank God.   Does that help to focus your thoughts about the validity of one opinion vs. the other? 
 
2.  And if you were contrasting Ade with me, I point to the OP's question:  What are Russian women REALLY like?   Now, who has a larger sample size? 
 
My answer to the OP's question is that RW share a certain mentality, yet none have the same character and values.    In fact, I found some RW in the same demographic group as different as night and day.   Same applies to AW.
 
BTW, I have spent about 300-350 days in the FSU.  I still don't speak the language.  Never will.   And unless one speaks the language, I don't feel that one can be considered a valid observer.

[Gator]

Muzh,
 
I enjoyed reading your sermon.     Based on responses, perhaps I was the only one.   
 
Do you realize what you have done?  You have combined the topic of religion with politics.   
 
It good to see a liberal who has obvious Christian views.  I too admire Jefferson - an incredible man, a true renaissance man, and one of our most important statesmen.  He had some corrupt views about human bondage, nonetheless.
 
You are wrong to say "...the Republican base is made up of evangelical Protestants who believe that religion must consume and influence every aspect of public life."  Such religious conservatives are a minority.  The Republican party has many groups, some of them single-issue voters with whom I can not identify.  At the core are those who subscribe to free enterprise, individual freedom, and small government (including fiscal restraint). 
 
I agree that the core Republicans tend to be Christian.  I hope you accept that the pilgrims would have been Republicans.   I ask, "What is wrong is using the teachings of Christ as a guide for living?"  Ignoring the fact that  church takes a prominent position in the social lives of many Republicans, the teachings of Christ boil down to two words "love and forgiveness."  It amazes me what those two actions can produce if practiced.   

Is a Democrat the opposite of a Republican?   I once was a card-carrying Democrat.  And today I look at your party, and  it seems to me that democrats believe more than ever that big government, especially at the Federal level is better than individual freedom.  Without the details, suffice it to say that the choice between the two parties has never been so stunningly clear.  Democrats and Republicans share too much to be opposites, yet the beligerant rhetoric suggests such. 
 
Before you jump me, I believe in pro-choice.  Yet, my studies in biology as well as engineering sciences has revealed to me in scientific depth the miracle of life.  Pro-choice and miracle of life - inconsistent?  Not in my mind.  Fast forwarding.... how life came to be and evolves today is my God, the "great creator."   Christ?  Jesus was a great man, even better understood (as you say) by ignoring the embellishments of the 12 apostles.   Son of God?  Aren't we all sons of God.

[Boethius]

It did not take long for an Ade fan to appear.  Boethius, you are missing the point.  Two points to be precise.
 
1.  I was contrasting Ade with mendeleyev, not with me.  This is not about me, thank God.   Does that help to focus your thoughts about the validity of one opinion vs. the other? 
 
2.  And if you were contrasting Ade with me, I point to the OP's question:  What are Russian women REALLY like?   Now, who has a larger sample size? 
 
My answer to the OP's question is that RW share a certain mentality, yet none have the same character and values.    In fact, I found some RW in the same demographic group as different as night and day.   Same applies to AW.
 
BTW, I have spent about 300-350 days in the FSU.  I still don't speak the language.  Never will.   And unless one speaks the language, I don't feel that one can be considered a valid observer.

1.  No.
 
2.  I don't think it's a valid question, to begin with.
 
When my husband, who, at this point, has still spent well over half his life in the FSU (Ukraine and Russia, though he travelled to almost all the Soviet republics), and spent his childhood mostly around women, his typical (mocking) response is "Do Canadians believe in ghosts?", or "Do Americans believe in psychics?"
 
Russia is not monolithic, nor are its peoples.  Including its women.  There are certain cultural cues, and I do think language, and growing up in a particular culture shapes certain attitudes, but I don't think you can say "RW are . . . " any more than you can say "AW are . . . ". 

[Jack]

Gator, when it comes to listening to men on this site with their general knowledge of Russian women I would probably tend to believe the man who has visited, dated, got to know very well, many Russian ladies as compared to a man who met and dated one Russian woman.  For this simple reason, AND the vast amount of time YOU have spent in Russia, I often read your post's with the expectation that I can actually learn something.   And usually I do.   Thank you. 

[Ade]

1.  I was contrasting Ade with mendeleyev, not with me. 

But, apart from my personal experiences, which are admittedly limited, my information comes from my wife and our FSU friends. So, I guess you should be comparing Mendeleyev with a native. But then he can bring his wife into the equation and where does that leave us precisely...

[Ade]

Gator, when it comes to listening to men on this site with their general knowledge of Russian women I would probably tend to believe the man who has visited, dated, got to know very well, many Russian ladies as compared to a man who met and dated one Russian woman.  For this simple reason, AND the vast amount of time YOU have spent in Russia, I often read your post's with the expectation that I can actually learn something.   And usually I do.   Thank you.

Yes, predictably, that seems to be your usual message; quantity over quality.

[Gator]

1.  No.

So you admit you are still scatter brained!        (not focused)

2.  I don't think it's a valid question, to begin with.

Not having the answer the OP is seeeking does not make the question invalid.   The answer is appropriate to his view, and the the conclusion certainly founded.

When my husband, who, at this point, has still spent well over half his life in
the FSU (Ukraine and Russia, though he travelled to almost all the Soviet
republics), his typical (mocking) response is "Do Canadians believe in ghosts?",
or "Do Americans believe in psychics?"

So he and I agree - RW can not be sterotyped.

Russia is not monolithic, nor are its peoples.  Including its women.  There are certain cultural cues, and I do think language, and growing up in a particular culture shapes certain attitudes, but I don't think you can say "RW are . . . " any more than you can say "AW are . . . ".

With regard to character and values, I agree.  With regard to certain behaviors, I can say RW are more prone to......(many examples).  They are different to me, and vive le difference.  In comparison with the average AW I find the average RW more pragmatic, more adventurous, more romantic, more direct, more appreciative of a direct man, etc. 

[mendeleyev]

...I say it to try to impart some realistic expectations in those that think Russia is full of pious, practising, Orthodox Christians. It's not and most aren't.

It is just the part of Russia to which each of us has been exposed. That is okay as I think you'd be fun to travel with across Russia. Were we to travel to hundreds of towns, most of the Republics, sit across the desks of many, sit on sofas in hundreds of living rooms, etc, you would have a more complete picture of all that makes the FSU so fascinating, including the various beliefs of those who are Muslim, Orthodox, Protestant, atheistic, agnostic, etc.

To say that Russia isn't, or is, full of pious anything however would require some extra sensory power not shared by most. I certainly don't have it. 

This is especially relevant for the very religious, generally American wife seekers.

You are absolutely right. Whether Orthodox or not, I've believed for a long time that most RW are not good matches for the very religious American male. In some cases if he is Catholic or Anglican and they can come to some sort of an agreement/understanding regarding how children are to be raised, a couple might stand a better chance. There are some exceptions in any scenario, but I've known too many marriages involving an protestant male and a RW that ended up in heartbreaking train wrecks.

Ade, I suspect that we share the same reasons for concern on this topic: An unaware WM often thinks that because he is religious and she is religious that he can win her over to his view in a period of time.

[mendeleyev]

Russia is not monolithic, nor are its peoples.  Including its women.  There are certain cultural cues, and I do think language, and growing up in a particular culture shapes certain attitudes, but I don't think you can say "RW are . . . " any more than you can say "AW are . . . ". 

+1


It is far too easy to generalize on a forum and we're all guilty, myself included.

Even so, some generalizations are helpful because often it is the newbie who comes to such a forum filled with misconceptions, and some of those can be dangerous to his well-being, and the information he gains from others with experience are what keep him from potential disasters down the road. Well, hopefully.

[Gator]

Yes, predictably, that seems to be your usual message; quantity over quality.


 

Only an arrogant prick would suggest that some other man's woman/women were not high quality.  Perhaps you meant to say, "I am biased by the fact that my wife is the finest woman in the world.   Surely no other woman, Russian or anywhere, can compare."  That would simply make you arrogant and not an arrogant prick. 
 
Then again, maybe you relish being called an A. P.  because you certainly talk such talk frequently.   Can you walk the walk, pilgrim?

[Muzh]

Muzh,
 
I enjoyed reading your sermon.     Based on responses, perhaps I was the only one.   
 
Do you realize what you have done?  You have combined the topic of religion with politics.   
 

Gator, you really flatter me if you think I wrote that! 

It was actually a opportune and thought-provoking piece in Newsweek two weeks ago. The link is at the very end.

[Donna_Pedro]

1.  RW are natural skeptics.
2.  They are not pushovers.
3.  They dress up in fine clothes and proper makeup when leaving home (even if going to the store, sport club, etc.) as if they believe  they can be discovered anywhere, anytime by a talent scout.
4.  They enjoy dancing.
5.  Family relationships are important.
6.  They appreciate organic foods.
7.  Big City women differ from village girls, yet even a Big City woman has some peasant ways when compared with a New York City woman.
8.  Some of their healthcare practices differ from standard American practice (e. g., they believe moving cool air such as from an A/C can kill you).
9.  Their dating behavior reflects training by Russian men so they appreciate if not expect gifts and more attention than you probably have given to AW.
10. Their approach to raising kids can differ somewhat from American general practices.
 
There are other differences such as driving ability and sex; however, you need to discover these for yourself.   

I agree with everything. Could you elaborate on #7, please? Any examples?

[Darth_Budda]

Muzh,
 
I enjoyed reading your sermon.     Based on responses, perhaps I was the only one.   
 
Do you realize what you have done?  You have combined the topic of religion with politics.   
 
It good to see a liberal who has obvious Christian views.  I too admire Jefferson - an incredible man, a true renaissance man, and one of our most important statesmen.  He had some corrupt views about human bondage, nonetheless.
 
You are wrong to say "...the Republican base is made up of evangelical Protestants who believe that religion must consume and influence every aspect of public life."  Such religious conservatives are a minority.  The Republican party has many groups, some of them single-issue voters with whom I can not identify.  At the core are those who subscribe to free enterprise, individual freedom, and small government (including fiscal restraint). 
 
I agree that the core Republicans tend to be Christian.  I hope you accept that the pilgrims would have been Republicans.   I ask, "What is wrong is using the teachings of Christ as a guide for living?"  Ignoring the fact that  church takes a prominent position in the social lives of many Republicans, the teachings of Christ boil down to two words "love and forgiveness."  It amazes me what those two actions can produce if practiced.   

Is a Democrat the opposite of a Republican?   I once was a card-carrying Democrat.  And today I look at your party, and  it seems to me that democrats believe more than ever that big government, especially at the Federal level is better than individual freedom.  Without the details, suffice it to say that the choice between the two parties has never been so stunningly clear.  Democrats and Republicans share too much to be opposites, yet the beligerant rhetoric suggests such. 
 
Before you jump me, I believe in pro-choice.  Yet, my studies in biology as well as engineering sciences has revealed to me in scientific depth the miracle of life.  Pro-choice and miracle of life - inconsistent?  Not in my mind.  Fast forwarding.... how life came to be and evolves today is my God, the "great creator."   Christ?  Jesus was a great man, even better understood (as you say) by ignoring the embellishments of the 12 apostles.   Son of God?  Aren't we all sons of God.

Wasn't Jesus a Socialist? 

[Daveman]

As far as what they are like, we do have a pretty good cross section on the forum here.  I guess we are missing "village girls" from various regions, but the opinions, expectations, etc. seem to be a pretty good spectral representation. 


Though I personally think that both the men and women who participate on a forum such as this are probable a cut above average -- for the most part. 

[OlgaH]

These types of things are slowly making their way into the Orthodox church after decades of rarely being available.

Slowly?!  You must be kidding. The Russian Orthodox Church very aggressively involves itself into social and political life.  Especially political. The ROC always was on the side of monarchy and autocracy and will support the regime that will financially take care of the Church  The Church in Russia more a political instrument.

Below one of the anti-Putin "posters"

"No, you will not be allowed to enter into Heaven, but you will have the best conditions in Hell, I will arrange" 

[Fashionista]

Fashion, in context of the thread yes lack of religion.

You are right however about cult of personality replacing the "opium of the people" with another opium/individual.

My second apartment in Moscow was rented from a lady (an attorney) who stipulated that there was one chair in the main room reserved for Stalin and a condition of me renting was that nobody would be allowed to sit in that rocking chair. Poor Stalin, I must have sat on his lap 100,000 times. 

Some time ago I wrote a piece about visiting a broadcaster from Voice of Russia in her home. Her piano stool was reserved for Stalin's ghost.

Stalin's ghost, eh? 
I can't call Russian very religious, there just hasn't been enough time. ROC started incorporating itself into the government - what? - 15 years ago? Give it another generation or, even better, two. Russia is very superstitious, that's a yes, but we shouldn't confuse religion and primitive shamanism.  The only reason Patriarch is receiving so much attention is because everyone is tired of talking about Kirkorov.

[OlgaH]

I can't call Russian very religious, there just hasn't been enough time.

As a Russian literary critic Vissarion Belinsky wrote "Русский мужик крестится правой рукой, в то же время левой чешет задницу" 

[XMan]

I have noticed  in Russia and here in the US especially the more a person cries "I love Jesus" and persistently "preaches" the more that person is a religious fanatic with some kind of mental disorder or the biggest hypocrite I have ever seen.

I don't know what it is all about but the US TV full of ghost hunting shows and psychic commercial 

  That's a good one,  I/O

Amen.

Pun intended.

[XMan]

If you have not met a Ukrainian Mormon, or a Ukrainian Jehovah's Witness, you have really missed out. 

Yes, they exist.
I have met both.

[OlgaH]

If you have not met a Ukrainian Mormon, or a Ukrainian Jehovah's Witness, you have really missed out. 

Yes, they exist.
I have met both.

We do have them in Russia too.

[ML]

On several of my trips to FSU, I have been stopped (accosted) by Mormons or  Jehovah's Witness on the street.  I jerk them around a little by  telling them I am a Ukrainian/Russian man who is just practicing my English.  They don't buy into it, but I keep insisting it's true while I walk away.

They have also rang my door bell a few times.

But these were Americans on their mission, not locals.

[mendeleyev]

ML, you probably remember the days when it was nigh impossible to make your way out of a Moscow Metro without being met by a brigade of little old ladies handing out every form of advertising pamphlet from Mary Kay to Religion to product ads.

I was relieved when city hall put a stop to that but at the same time felt badly for the ladies--many of whom could hardly afford to live and the small amounts they earned for handing out ads helped them survive.

You may also recall the days just after the "fall" when the entrances to Metro stations were clogged with ladies selling Metro tickets, bus tickets, theatre tickets, circus tickets, and sometimes sadly selling their personal belongings in order to survive. When it came to personal items I'd look into their eyes and often saw desperation. In some of those cases I've paid a little something for the item and handed it back so they could sell it again.

Today there is an attack on the street kiosks and the little lean-to markets adjacent to Metro stations. Most of those markets are gone. I understand the desire to clean up the city's image, but it angers me that the rate in pensions has not gone up correspondingly to allow these folk to live out the remainder of their lives in dignity while the country transitions to a different form of economy.

Admittedly I don't miss the old crowded entrances/exits and it is a lot nicer and cleaner now, but at least in handing out pamphlets those members of the population could earn something for their efforts. It is also true that the government used that "problem" to eliminate foreign missionaries from handing out pamphlets at Metro stations.

Next after the war on street kiosks the city plans to attack those portable outdoor toilets.

[Ade]

Only an arrogant prick would suggest that some other man's woman/women were not high quality.  Perhaps you meant to say, "I am biased by the fact that my wife is the finest woman in the world.   Surely no other woman, Russian or anywhere, can compare."  That would simply make you arrogant and not an arrogant prick. 
 
Then again, maybe you relish being called an A. P.  because you certainly talk such talk frequently.   Can you walk the walk, pilgrim?

LOL

Well, as you're right about my wife being the finest woman in the world, I'm feeling magnanimous so I'll leave the "prick" comment slide.

[Gator]

I agree with everything. Could you elaborate on #7, please? Any examples?

"7.  Big City women differ from village girls, yet even a Big City woman has some peasant ways when compared with a New York City woman." 
 
A BCRW (Big City Russian Woman) will mix perfectly fine food with other ingredients in glass jars,  let it stand for days if not weeks, and then consume it.  The original food could be milk, berries, grains, etc.
 
A BCRW will sew, sometimes making something fashionable.
 
A BCRW  will stop when a black cat crosses the path and wait until some other unsuspecting human soul goes ahead of her.
 
A BCRW will pee outdoors in public without reservations (one BCRW urinated on the pavement of a narrow road rather than to the side because weeds would tickle her, not concerned if another car drove up and would have to wait until she finished and hiked up her jeans).
 
A BCRW will harvest mushrooms from the forest, bring them home and eat them.
 
A BCRW will have a picnic in a forest with trash all around from picnickers before her, and then add to the litter.
 
A BCRW will drink warm beer and eat a foul smelling pickled fish (I like herring and this was not herring).
 
A BCRW will have 5 or more electric appliances/units plugged into a single outlet.
 


Some Provincial City RW will not do some of these, e. g. I know one who would die of uremic poisoning before urinating in public.
 
There are probably other examples which I have forgotten because I have grown accustomed to them and it now seems like normal behavior.
 
 
 
 
 

[Darth_Budda]

1) A BCRW (Big City Russian Woman) will mix perfectly fine food with other ingredients in glass jars,  let it stand for days if not weeks, and then consume it.  The original food could be milk, berries, grains, etc.
 
2) A BCRW will pee outdoors in public without reservations (one BCRW urinated on the pavement of a narrow road rather than to the side because weeds would tickle her, not concerned if another car drove up and would have to wait until she finished and hiked up her jeans).
 
3) A BCRW will harvest mushrooms from the forest, bring them home and eat them.
 

1) What is up with this??? Sounds strange, Why do they do this.

2) Sounds like a country girl from NY,, 

3) Sounds dangerous.. Might end up with a magic one..